Why Have Your Dog Spayed or Neutered?
This Article was published in the Orlando Sentinel.
As Bob Barker from the Price is Right is famous for saying, ‘Help control the pet population - Have your pets
spayed or neutered.’ But many people have no idea why spaying and neutering is important for their pet’s
Pet overpopulation is everyone's problem. Every year millions of unwanted pets are euthanized nationwide.
The primary source of these animals is from homes where the pets do not fit in. If we prevent unwanted litters
by neutering, and match pets to good homes, we can all make a huge impact.
Health concerns abound for pets that have not been spayed or neutered. Some of these conditions can be
deadly. Pyometra is a severe and life threatening infection of the uterus that occurs in females that repeatedly
cycle. Without prompt surgical treatment this disease will almost always end in death. By performing a spay,
we remove the uterus and ovaries, thereby preventing pyometra.
Some dogs have difficulty with giving birth. This is called "dystocia" and happens more often with first litters
and oversized puppies. If medical treatment is unsuccessful, a C-section may be necessary to allow for
delivery. Certain breeds are more prone to dystocia as well; especially small breeds that tend to have smaller
Mammary Cancer can be avoided. By spaying the female dog before the first heat cycle we can prevent the
most common forms of mammary cancer. The benefits decrease 20% after the second heat and provide no
benefit after subsequent heat cycles. Therefore it is wise to spay early to prevent this often-deadly problem.
Other health concerns can be avoided or diminished by spaying or neutering. For males, neutering can
decrease incidence of prostate disease and certain types of cancer, and prevent the possibility of testicular
tumors all together. Females benefit additionally by eliminating the chance of cystic ovaries.
There are some myths out there about spaying and neutering pets. Here are the facts:
Your pet will not get lazy or fat because of the surgery. Diet, exercise and heredity have much more to do with that than the operation does.
The surgery is recommended at 6 months of age, but can be done at any age. Therefore, there is no problem with spaying or neutering an adult dog.
Surgery is performed under general anesthesia and in a painless manner. Surgical risk is minimal and your pet will most likely go home the same day.
All spays and neuters are not the same. Be wary of low cost surgeries. Pets spayed or neutered at these facilities tend to have more complications including sutures opening. Generally, you get what you pay for. If the price is too low, your expectations may not be met. For a list of questions to ask your provider prior to surgery, check out http://wesborgman.com/Spay.aspx Veterinarians are doing their part to control the pet population by offering spay and neuter surgery at approximately half the actual cost. The spay/neuter procedure is major surgery for your pet. The average spay/neuter surgery probably costs less than an automobile tune-up, not a bad price for a procedure that requires the time of a veterinarian and a surgical technician, sterilized surgical instruments, general anesthesia, drapes, suture material, hospitalization, and follow-up medication.
Read why Seminole Animal Hospital Spays & Neuters are different here.